 Mt. Kisco, NY - The Flying Pig on Lexington, Northern Westchester's standard bearer for local and natural foods, is celebrating its first anniversary with an extensive interior renovation and a new seasonal menu showcasing farm-fresh, flavorful foods from the Hudson Valley and beyond.
The renovation plays on the restaurant's porcine theme with whimsical pig art throughout the restaurant and a warm and homey farmhouse design in the upstairs dining area. In her new seasonal menu, executive chef Lesley Sutter, a California native, married the casual and healthy elegance of California cuisine with the vibrant flavors and colors of New York fall foods.
The menu speaks to the connection between farm and table. Many menu ingredients were grown or raised at nearby 200-acre Cabbage Hill Farm in Mt. Kisco, whose proprietors Nancy and Jerome Kohlberg, also own the Flying Pig. A side dish of Cabbage Hill Farm glazed bacon paired with Anson Mills creamy stone-ground grits has become a quick favorite among diners. Entrée choices include the restaurant's signature Bolognese sauce, made with Cabbage Hill beef, pork and lamb; a chuck burger from local, hormone-free, grass-feed cattle; and whole roasted trout from the Cabbage Hill Farm aquaponics center.
Flying Pig's dessert menu also reflects the seasonal crop connection. This season's featured desserts, created by pastry and sous chef Shelley Smedberg, include slow roasted apples with a sparkling cider sabayon, warm gingerbread cake with apple compote, and a rotating menu of specials made with local apples or pears. Also new to the fall menu is the restaurant's interpretation of a Kit Kat candy bar. Several desserts are accompanied by Jane's ice cream, hand-made in Kingston, New York.
Chef Sutter and managing partner, Michael LoDolce, work directly with Cabbage Hill produce, livestock, and fish farmers, providing feedback on the current season's bounty and specifying ingredients for the upcoming growing seasons. Chef Sutter partners with additional suppliers, including small farms throughout the Hudson Valley countryside and artisanal farmers and food crafters, who share the restaurant's mission of sustainability in farming. The growing wine list features a cabernet franc from Dutchess County's Millbrook Vineyards & Winery and organic Moon Mountain wines from Sonoma County.
The Kohlbergs brought LoDolce on board because of his strong reputation and more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry. LoDolce served as the general manager for New York City's Houston's Restaurants and Harley Davidson Café and was an original founder of Route 22 Restaurant in Armonk. "Michael brings a customer service focus that enhances the dining experience at the Flying Pig," said Nancy Kohlberg.
As part of its renovation, the Flying Pig on Lexington also upgraded its acoustics to control ambient sound and changed its front-of-the-house service.
Joining the Flying Pig team to oversee dining room operations is newly hired Assistant General Manager Ron Menin. Menin is a service specialist most recently of Manhattan's award-winning Craftsteak, whose owner, Tom Colicchio, is head judge for Bravo's " Top Chef."
"The transition one year ago from our 70-seat space at the Mount Kisco train station to our new 180-seat location required a complete overhaul in the way that we do business," said LoDolce. "We listened to customer feedback about our décor, ambiance, service, and menu so that we could better meet the expectations of our diners."
Flying Pig on Lexington has a vast celebrity clientele who are frequent patrons of both the restaurant and its catering service.
The restaurant's catering division is expanding under the direction of catering chef Donna Hammond. Chef Hammond, a Culinary Institute graduate who worked at Berkeley's Chez Panisse earlier in her career, uses the restaurant as inspiration for her catering menus. Working with the restaurant's event planner, Raoul Gambaua, and event coordinator, Josephine Mineo, Chef Hammond creates catered meals and events for groups from 12 to 120. The restaurant recently hosted an event for 100 new physicians from the Mount Kisco Medical Group, where Flying Pig maintains a breakfast, sandwich, and coffee cart in the lobby.
"It has been rewarding to see the outburst of community support of our new location, new food, and new look," says Nancy Kohlberg, co-owner of the restaurant and Cabbage Hill Farm. "We are particularly proud of our fresh Mount Kisco-bred trout, our black pigs, and our unfailing support of small farms, local farmers, and the farm-to-table concept in dining."
The Flying Pig on Lexington is located at 251 Lexington Avenue in Mount Kisco. For information and reservations, call 914.666.7445.
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